Djibouti inaugurates US-funded training camp upgrade

Some of the new facilities at the Maryama Regional Peacekeeping Centre. (Radio Télévision Djibouti)

Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh inaugurated a significant US-funded upgrade for one of the Djiboutian Armed Forces' (FAD's) main training bases on 17 February.

In his televised speech during the event, FAD Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Zakaria Cheick Ibrahim said the Maryama camp that was previously used to train contingents for United Nations and African Union missions now has 76 permanent buildings, including a state-of-the-art shooting simulator, and can now accommodate 1,000 personnel.

“A simple site once little known has become today the sanctuary of our military excellence and the pivot of our commitment to peace,” he said. “This centre is now intended to strengthen operational skills and develop interoperability between African forces and allied forces stationed in Djibouti.”

The US Embassy in Djibouti released a statement to announce that it had handed over the Maryama Training Centre worth USD29 million to strengthen the country's ability to train peacekeeping forces.

The television coverage of the event showed the facility is now called the Maryama Regional Peacekeeping Centre, although this name does not appear to have been used by any of the officials.

Radio Télévision Djibouti (RTD) reported that the centre covers 95 ha and has three main zones, the first for instruction and simulation with a capacity of 500 personnel; the second for accommodation, classrooms, and a dining hall that can seat more than 300; and a third for field exercises with a capacity of 600.

RTD previously reported on the project in October 2024 when Lt Gen Ibrahim inspected it, saying the upgrade began in February 2024 at the training camp located on National Road 1 near Wea.